ABQ Fresh Forum Unites Community Around Expanding Access to Fresh, Affordable Food
City brings together local food growers and entrepreneurs in exploring ways to strengthen our local food system.
Community leaders, local growers, neighborhood market owners, food entrepreneurs, and residents gathered Tuesday for the ABQ Fresh Forum, a daylong City-hosted event focused on expanding access to affordable, healthy food throughout Albuquerque, especially in areas with insufficient options.
Mayor Tim Keller and City leaders joined community partners to listen, learn, and discuss solutions that put fresh food within reach of more neighborhoods. Participants shared practical strategies and transformational ideas that would help area farmers and independent businesses succeed while bringing healthful, high-quality, low-impact groceries within reach of all residents.
The forum sought to gather workable suggestions to help forward the City’s recent affordability efforts, including Mayor Tim Keller’s executive order easing permitting to bring back small neighborhood stores, or “micro-markets.” A common theme throughout was that upgrading our food consumption need not be an all-or-nothing approach to make a big impact.
“It concerns that intersection between access, affordability, and equity, but it's also about a healthier society,“ said Keller, noting the volume of meals the City prepares and serves to children, seniors and others through community programs. “We want to understand how we can at least increase the percentage that we consume and cycle here locally.”
City Councilor Nichole Rodgers spoke about alignment with ongoing work in District 6 to close access gaps and invest in local food systems: “Neighborhood-based solutions, when brought together, can drive meaningful change across Albuquerque.”
Participants also discussed the difference between price and real cost in terms of effects on health, the environment, and the local economy. “You don't even have to spend a lot of money,” said Chris Whitson, owner of Farm to You by Bom Vida Farms grower-direct markets. “If each one of our 4,500 Facebook followers came in the store and spent just $10 a week, that would be over $2 million a year into local farmers’ hands.”